Season 2 Restoration Project
by J.G. The Gamer
Summary: These are the rewrites of chapters 1 thru 45 for my Season 2 story. High in demand, finally arrived. How will our heroes deal with the aftermath of 3I and be ready for what is on the horizon?
1. The New Beginning

A/N: Well well well, reality has finally caught up with me, and so has poor writings in the past. Henceforth, this is the Season 2 Restoration Project commencing. Anything written in here is now deemed canon according to the original Season 2 story. Once a chapter is written here, it shall be integrated into the original story. Well here we go! Let's restore shall we?

Everything felt like a haze at the moment for the boy lying on the hospital bed. There was no way of knowing what was real and what wasn't real anymore. The only things he really heard or understood were something of a combination of either his own thoughts or whatever people on the outside of his consciousness were saying to him.

'_Do you want to become one with me?'_

'_Is he going to be alright?'_

'_I wish they would all just die…'_

'_I couldn't tell you, it's almost as if he has no idea whether he wants to live or to die.'_

'_Come on Shinji, wake up.'_

There was a person observing the boy on the bed while he slept there, and she was concerned about his well being. Misato Katsuragi sat on a chair, silently hoping that the boy on the bed, named Shinji Ikari would fully awaken and that everything would be fine, knowing the hectic events that occurred no more than a week ago. While she waited for him to wake, she thought about the events that had occurred seven days ago.

It all seemed like it had gone into slow motion. She had given Shinji a final kiss and sent him into the elevator with the hopes of getting into his EVA as a result of the attack on NERV. And then there was the resulting explosion that by all means should have killed her. But to her own misfortune, she was only critically wounded and as a result was in immense pain, until everything blacked out and woke up to be in some hazy like world that seemed to be perfect. But even she knew something was fishy when everything seemed to be perfectly fine unlike reality which was on the other hand… more real. The next thing she knew, she was swimming in what looked like a gigantic lake of LCL. And then she eventually stumbled upon a makeshift refugee camp that was assisting people displaced by the results of that day.

Getting much needed medical attention (due to another gift, or rather another scar where she was shot) and shelter in the camp, she was able to center herself and get a grasp on the situation. Some incident had occurred which had caused likely the entire population to become encapsulated into LCL and placed in some dream like world. And eventually people were emerging from this world and trying to get a grasp back on reality. Looking around, Tokyo-3 was likely all but decimated by the N2 mine dropped by the Japanese forces. In the camp, she had looked around in hopes of finding her other colleagues. She had luck in finding Lieutenant Maya Ibuki, and for the moment, they were sticking together as it was a rather large camp that was taking in more refugees everyday. Add on that there was assistance from other countries around the world, and the Japanese army (the irony), and the camp was thriving for the time being.

To Misato's joy, the boy on the bed began to stir, and slowly he opened his brown eyes and quickly fixated them with Misato's. "Misato…" there seemed to be a small sense of relief that she was okay, but Misato could still see glimmers of uncertainty

Misato gave him a smile. "Glad to see you finally decided to come back Shinji, I was worried that you'd never regain consciousness."

"How long… has it been?" he asked her. He probably meant since he had either been found in the camp unconsciousness.

"Ah, it's been about a week since you and Asuka were found unconscious on the border of this camp," Misato answered. "The way we found you two, it was as if you tried to carry her here and collapsed from exhaustion."

"Asuka…" Shinji muttered, trying to structure a sentence. "She alright?"

Misato assured him, "Don't worry, she's going to be fine. She's been pretty much like you, drifting in and out of consciousness. Maya's watching over her right now. As for her injuries, she looks like she got into a fight and barely walked away from it, but she'll be alright."

Shinji smiled, "Good… I didn't let her down…"

"Oh it's good, you saved her life Shinji. She needed a blood transfusion to survive, and we got that blood from you believe it or not." Misato noticed Shinji starting to fall back asleep, "Don't you go falling asleep on me just yet there."

"Sorry…"

"Don't be." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm just glad you're okay."

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Outer Space

A dark, quite, and immensely lonely place the cosmos could be. There was pretty much no life out here, with the stars, meteors, comets, and perhaps planets being simply objects that moved about in an orderly fashion simply because that was the only things they could do.

However, something stood out that shouldn't have been there. Floating out in the direction towards exiting the solar system was a large humanoid shaped device. Turns out this device was actually Evangelion Unit 01 floating on a destined course, its purpose simply being utmost proof that humankind once existed at one time or another. But on another hand, the object standing before the floating Unit 01 felt there was another purpose for it.

The object took the form of a boy, no more than fifteen years old with silver hair and red eyes wearing plain clothing. Most notably about the boy was that he had a glowing golden halo hovering a few inches above his head.

"I understand this is your ultimate purpose that you have desired," the boy spoke to the floating EVA. He rose out one hand which stopped it dead in its tracks. "But unfortunately there is another task that requires your assistance. A task that no one, not even Gendo Ikari or Lorenz Keel could predict." He paused for a moment before continuing to speak to the silent machine. "Yes, there are two sides to every coin. And your son must soon be ready to face the other side of the coin." Another short pause went on before the boy spoke one more time. "Do not worry. I can have you returned to where you came from in no time." With his extended hand, Unit 01 was consumed in a bright flash of light. Once the light subsided, Unit 01 had disappeared and likely sent wherever the boy had desired for it to go.

"You'll make me proud again, Shinji Ikari."

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Terminal Dogma – Note the large pool of orange juice… or rather LCL

"This was DEFINITELY not a part of the scenario," one of two people in the room sighed aloud. The voice belonged to a middle aged man named Gendo Ikari, who was hobbling along while carrying the second person on his back out of the chamber. A lot was now on his mind. In the world where all of mankind was merged together, it was still not the world Gendo was hoping for: one where he could be united with his family and all would be happy forever and ever. As perfect as it had all seemed, Gendo couldn't get around the fact that it still did not seem entirely real. To make things worse Yui ended up completely and utterly chewing him out on how he was a good for nothing manipulating philandering piece of shit for a father. To finish off, Yui told him the only way she would forgive him would be to return to Earth and make things right.

And now, with Ritsuko Akagi on his back currently unconscious, whom he had shot and supposedly killed sometime ago was also apparently still alive. Feeling a small bit of regret, he reluctantly decided to carry her out of the chamber and back to Central Dogma.

Once in the elevator, it began its long trek back towards the upper levels. He wondered to himself the state of NERV HQ since the attack. He presumed it was for the most part intact, and that a lot of the chambers were filled with Bakelite in an attempt to fend off the invading soldiers. And it was fairly obvious that SEELE had more of a role to play in this attack rather than the Japanese government itself. It was almost sickening to know what kind of grasp twelve old men could have on the affairs of the world.

But if one thing was for sure in Gendo's mind, was that they were not going to get away with this. It would be likely that they would return from being merged as one entity once they figured out it was breaking down. And then they would be vulnerable, and Gendo Ikari would have his revenge on them. He allowed himself a smile at the very thought of getting some much needed retribution. A pinging sound reminded him that he had arrived at his destination. Once the door opened, Gendo saw someone on the other side that he quickly identified as his former mentor Kozo Fuyutski. At the sound of the elevator opening, the two men acknowledged each other.

"So you have returned from the very thing you envisioned," Fuyutski said first.

"It wasn't all that exciting," Gendo sheepishly replied as the two walked along down a chamber. "So what do we know right now?"

"Not much, other than that there is an international outpour of aid coming in to assist those caught up in the aftermath of what happened," Fuyutski answered, "I have no idea what has happened to most of the NERV personnel though, although I have heard reports that Major Katsuragi and Lieutenant Ibuki have been seen in the medical camp that has been set up after what happened. That and I have heard that the Second and Third Children have also been seen there."

"I see. And the MAGI?"

"Still intact."

"The Evangelions?"

"Unit 02 has been critically damaged as a result of its battle with the EVA Series, which was also destroyed in the abortion of 3rd Impact, and I have no idea where Unit 01 is."

"Good," Gendo said with a smile. Finally, the two had arrived at Central Dogma. Gendo set down the unconscious Ritsuko into a chair and pulled himself up to a computer and began typing into the keyboard.

"Might I ask what you are doing?"

"I am simply informing the Japanese government along with the United Nations that SEELE's influence resulted in an unwarranted attack on this facility, which resulted in a large loss of life. That and the bombing of the city probably killed more numerous people. I will ask that they be prosecuted for war crimes."

"One would simply argue that they were acting on our intent to initiate our own version of 3rd Impact. That and we had Adam in our grasp to set the events in motion," Fuyutski argued.

Gendo removed the glove on his right hand, to reveal that Adam was no longer there. "Adam is no more, been consumed by Rei of all people during the events of 3rd Impact. No Adam, no proof. More or less, it was SEELE's version that took place and not our own. Counter arguing would be pointless as it all now points to them." He placed his glove back on and resumed typing. "How SEELE will respond to this, I do not know. But what I do know is that we need to pull everything and everyone back together just in case something else happens."

"That will take some time indeed. Two pilots likely out of action, no Evangelions ready to go."

"Indeed," Gendo went on. "I have contacts in a few places around the world, who are ready to commence their own Evangelion projects once I give the word. The funds have already been allocated, and are just awaiting my signal."

"I guess going by the way of the bringing in new pilots could be our only choice."

"With the displacement of Tokyo-3's inhabitants, it will be too difficult to select candidates from our own circle." Gendo then finished typing the letter and sent it off. "Now let's see how Keel likes having the tables turned on him. I can bet that he will not find it pleasant in the least bit," he finished with a smile.

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Medical Camp

Asuka simply looked up at the ceiling of the large tent set up to admit anyone who was injured in the events of 3rd Impact. To be honest, she was not too sure what to think since waking up from a hazy state a few hours ago. Maya Ibuki who was watching her by the bedside offered a few words regarding what happened, but Asuka couldn't understand much of it.

She still had a patch on over her left eye, but it didn't stop her from looking over at her left arm to see an IV sticking into her arm slowly injecting blood into it. To her, it made her feel like a failure once more. It slowly came back to her. In her Unit 02, all alone and running out of time against the EVA Series. Just when it seemed like she was on the verge of wrapping up the gauntlet match, she got struck by a lance that for some reason she couldn't defend against.

And just as she was about to be finished off by those vultures, something occurred inside the plug completely shutting off her EVA, sparing her life but leaving her trapped within. She wasn't sure what had caused it, but in the end, she lost again, the wounds of battle around her arm and eye from her synchronization proof of that.

'So now what?' the redhead asked herself. 'I've lost my real purpose in life. My Unit 02 is likely toast, and now I'm stuck in this hospital bed. What do I do now?'

As if an answer to her question had arrived, her guardian Misato had walked into her room to presumably see how she's doing. "How's she doing Maya?" Misato asked.

"Not talking much," Maya responded with a frown. "I bet she's really deep in thought right now. I don't blame her. Poor girl went through hell and back."

"Yeah, I'll bet." Misato then turned her attention to Asuka, who was fully conscious, just not answering to anyone. "Hey, can I talk for a moment?"

Asuka just lay there, not even turning to acknowledge Misato or nothing. Misato gently nudged her, trying to get her attention. "Hey I know you've got a lot on your mind, but can I have your attention for just a few minutes? Just a few minutes then I'll leave you alone."

Finally after what seemed like an eternity, Asuka rolled her head over to face Misato, the two locking eyes. A few words escaped the girl's mouth. "What's the point?"

"Asuka, I'm not saying this because it's narrow minded, but I want you to know there's a little more to life than just EVA," Misato began. "There is obviously more to life than just combating Angels. Eventually they were all going to be defeated or we'd all die trying. But obviously as we now know, they are all dead." Giving Asuka a smile, she continued, "What I want to say is, I think it's time you set yourself some new goals for your future and strive to achieve those goals."

To Misato's disappointment, Asuka rolled back over and turned away from her, not interested in where this was going. Misato knew that more or less Asuka felt like a failure for all those times she was defeated in battle. The battles she had spent her entire life training for. Misato hoped she could get a few more words of encouragement into Asuka. "Hey, I know you're disappointed with your track record out on the battlefield. But you want to know something, between yourself, Shinji, and Rei, you were the one who by far put out the most effort and was always ready to put your life on the line. It was because of you that we defeated the 6th, 7th, the 8th, the 9th, the 10th Angels thanks to your contributions. Failure on any of those Angels would have wiped out mankind. But thanks to you, mankind was given another chance each time. And the other Angels you fought against, you gave it your very all and nothing less."

"I failed when it counted the most," Asuka muttered.

"You may have been beaten in battle Asuka," Misato pressed on, "but it was never in vain. When we were attacked, you ALONE held your ground against almost impossible odds. It was because of something no one expected that you lost the last time. By all means, I'm impressed and even Commander Ikari would have been impressed."

"Don't flatter me dammit."

"Well I don't know what else to say really," Misato sighed. "You can either wallow in the fact that you lost and possibly were humiliated. Or you can ultimately decide that the Great Asuka Langley Sohryu has more to life than simply EVA and will rise once more from the darkness of her own mind."

Suddenly, Shinji who was out of bed and about poked his head in, presumably looking for Misato. He found her alright, conversing with a conscious Asuka. Misato had spoken to him earlier about being able to find temporary residence in Tokyo-2 until Tokyo-3 could be suitable again for inhabitance. Shinji after much thought agreed to go along with it, as anything seemed better than staring up at a hospital's ceiling. Perhaps he could pick up his life again, as he felt like he had a clean slate now that EVA was pretty much gone and his father nowhere to be seen. But he could not forget that there were still some underlying issues involving Misato and Asuka. Hopefully they could work themselves out though.

But back to the issue at hand, "Am I interrupting something?" he asked.

"More or less," Misato sighed. "Asuka here isn't that all enthusiastic about getting up." An idea hit her. "Hey maybe you can say something that show her the way."

"What can I really say?" Shinji wondered. "I'm not really good at this sort of thing."

"Stop kicking yourself," Misato fired at him. "Damn, both of you seem to enjoy wallowing in what you can't do. You won't know until you try."

"But…"

"No buts Shinji," Misato cut him off. "As your guardian, AND superior officer, I order you to come and say a few words."

Shinji reluctantly went over to Asuka's bedside to stand on the side Asuka chose to face. Judging by her face, she appeared to be staring over into space. Shinji on the other hand, had no clue what to say to her. What could he say to her, other than sorry for not being there to assist her on the battlefield?

"Asuka…"

Calling her name obviously didn't get her attention. She either just didn't give a damn about anything anymore or she just wasn't paying any sort of attention to what anyone else was saying. Obviously having no trump cards to play, he went with the only option that usually garnered a reaction from her, albeit a negative reaction.

"I'm sorry."

This caught her attention. The all famous quote 'Sorry' worked. Shinji the spineless coward who would usually fluster Asuka with his constant apologies for just about anything had gotten her attention. Sometimes when he wasn't even in the wrong at all, much like this time had just apologized again. "For what?" she quietly asked.

"I don't know why. But I feel I'm just… sorry."

"I hope you're sorry for leaving me out there to die with those EVA vultures, and then nearly throttling me afterwards after I chose to come back and deal with you," Asuka muttered.

"I guess so," Shinji sighed. "Misato said she could get us temporary residence in Tokyo-2 since there isn't much left of this city. We could get our lives back together, and you can take out all your anger on me once you get better… you have every right to…"

"This is why I can't stand you," Asuka quietly replied. "You have no balls, you choose not to stand up for yourself, and you think it's bloody fucking okay to get pussywhipped by anyone and everyone. That pisses me off."

Misato, seeing a chance interjected. "She's right Shinji. Here's your chance to make a new beginning for yourself. And it's right in front of you." She quickly shot Shinji a look that said 'You're doing great, keep it up.'

Luckily, Shinji saw that window of opportunity too. "I guess you're both right. If you come with us Asuka, maybe you can help me become a better man and hopefully I'll be able to stand up for myself one day."

"He's right too Asuka," Misato jumped in again, "who else can keep Shinji in line and help him find his balls better than the great Asuka Langley Sohryu?" Maya had to cover her mouth from that response, and Shinji was equally shocked.

Shinji regained his composure and extended a hand to Asuka, "So will you show me the way?" he pleaded, hoping she would take his hand.

"What's the point?" Asuka continued to mutter. "What point is there now that there's no more EVA?"

"I don't know either," Shinji sighed. "I guess we just got to learn to cope without it. I don't think I'll ever know if this was the right decision." He left his hand out there, hoping Asuka would take it, and so he wouldn't feel like he failed her again.

After what felt like an eternity of Shinji just holding out his hand, he was ready to retract it in disappointment when suddenly a bandaged right arm caught his hand. Realizing that hand belonged to Asuka, he looked at her face to find a small glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"You had better be ready to wait on me hand and foot, and not make a fuss about it or apologize, because that's what men do for a lady."

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Sea of LCL

As more people would eventually return, the sea of LCL that once was slowly had began to shrink in size. With time, that would eventually become nothing more than an oil spill, and ultimately disappear.

However, the state of what looked liked a gigantic humanoid floating on the surface intrigued a few locals who had probably never seen the Angels before. And as a result, a few of them were out on the LCL Sea in a boat to take a look at whatever it was. Little did they know that it was the remnants of the 2nd Angel Lilith.

"Do you suppose this is one of them Angels?" one of the three men in the boat asked. "Damn this thing must've been huge."

"I don't know," replied the second man who was rowing the boat. "I always got into the shelters before those Angels would attack. I never saw any of the battles, but you could always see the damage afterwards. Just by the size of this alone, you could tell this thing could easily do some damage."

"That face on this thing is kinda creepy though," the third one said as he was also rowing the boat. "How close do ya want to get to that thing?"

"I figure we could go right up to it," The first man replied. "I doubt it's gonna do anything to us, because it's probably dead."

And so our three curious adventurers brought their boat up to the remnants of Lilith, but now they were faced with another question: What to do now?

"Just fabulous," the second man grumbled. "What to do now? Can we climb on it?"

"I dunno," the third man replied. He prodded it with one of the oars and was quite surprised with what happened. "Damn, this thing's decomposing fast, the oar went right in."

"Well so much for getting on this thing. Fuck we'd sink right into it," the first one said. "All right, let's go back to shore before they start giving out the meals." He looked at the third guy whose oar was still stuck in the side of the Angel. "Hey come on, get the oar out and let's get moving."

"I can't," the third man groaned trying to pull his oar out. "Shit this thing's got my oar!" He pulled with one final yank, and nobody could believe what happened next.

When the man pulled the oar out of Lilith, it ended up ripping the whole side of the dead Angel wide open. Like a tide coming in, the three men were doused in LCL, drenching them all and nearly filling up the boat.

"Jesus Christ!" one of the men cried out, trying to get the bloodlike fluid off of him. "Fuck! This shit's all over me! Way to go douche bag!" He looked at the second man to see a freaked out look on his face. "What got into you?"

The second man pointed downwards which showed the others something they did not expect. At their feet lay what appeared to be a naked teenage girl with pale skin and azure hair, unconscious but breathing. Apparently she must've come from inside the Angel, lying dormant the entire time.

The men didn't say anything until one of them finally spoke.

"I think I'm gonna skip lunch."

A/N: And here we go! The beginning of the restoration project! Thoughts, opinions, suggestions are very, very much appreciated. Your opinion does count, as it can very much influence where this project goes to an extent.

A/O/N: I've started a poll on which the best OC in Season 2 currently is. Your vote does count, so go vote!

Until 2, be cool!


	2. More Threats: Nothing New to NERV

A/N: Well it looks like we're getting on track here

A/N: Well it looks like we're getting on track here. I'll hold off about 5 chapters before I begin to integrate this into the original story. And by that time, that story will probably stop making sense for a while. Oh how I'll laugh when someone goes WTF!

A/O/N: And now begins that long drawn out process in one's life where they go through the "agonizing" part that involves putting their life back together. I always thought that would be a happy time, because it's a time to be reborn. But meh… least when someone looks back, they'll wonder what the fuck flamers (who were probably right at the time) were thinking. Oh how their anger becomes my amusement!

"Okay, so you're telling me this girl came out of that… thing out there?"

"Dude, I'm not crazy! That girl came out when Koji here ripped the damn thing open!"

"Now I've heard everything."

The three adventurers who had found this mysterious girl inside what some were calling an Angel had gone the way of the Good Samaritan and had brought her into the camp, and the leader of the three was conversing with the doctor.

"Well, she appears to be okay externally," the doctor said. Some about her was definitely odd though. "There's something odd about here that's for sure." He looked at the sleeping girl once more, before speaking to the man. "I can take things from here; you had best hurry to the soup kitchen before they miss you."

"Will do. Please look after the girl Doctor," the man replied before going off to rejoin his friends.

The doctor took another look at the mysterious girl. She had borderline albino pigmented skin and pale blue hair. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something about her felt… unworldly.

--

"So how exactly are we going to find a place to stay Misato?" Shinji wondered. "Are we going to go to some other town or something like that?"

"It's not going to be easy," Misato answered. "I bet I can apply for government assistance, and state that our home was decimated in the attack, and that I have two kids to raise. So hopefully we'll be able to receive some good assistance from the government. Only downside is that with Tokyo-3's entire population displaced, the demand for housing is going to skyrocket."

"Which means we're going nowhere," Asuka pouted. "So what's the point? We may as well just sit tight and pitch some tents."

"Well Asuka, I for one would rather be able to wake up to a nice cold beer rather then question the quality of the bottles of water they give us," Misato replied to Asuka's pessimism. "I have some connections in Tokyo-2. Maybe with a little bit of help, I can get us set up somewhere until we can either be able to move back to Tokyo-3, or unless Tokyo-2 becomes our preferred place to stay." Looking back at Asuka for a moment, she went on. "We'll be able to leave once you're up and able to walk which shouldn't be too long."

'Life without EVA,' Shinji wondered to himself. 'I wonder what that will be like. It's rather hard to remember because I've spent more than a year trapped in its inescapable grasp.' He allowed himself a faint smile, but kept it faint, reminding himself to remain vigilant because those good times weren't promised, but merely a glimmer of hope. 'Best not get my hopes up totally though.'

He then felt an arm placed around him. Identifying it as Misato's he then asked her another question. "If we can find a place to stay… will we be able to live a normal life Misato?"

"We're going to try Shinji. We're going to try our very best. We're all going to have to pull together if were going to make it through. It's not going to be easy at all, but we can do it."

Something else then caught all three of the tent occupants' attention. A panting Maya Ibuki who had likely just rushed in. "Misato, you gotta come see this!"

"See what?"

"They found her! She's alive!" Maya responded through her pants for breath.

"Found who?" Misato started to stand up with the expectation of seeing whoever was alive. Who could it be? "Kids, I'll be right back. Don't be ripping each other apart by the time I get back." She motioned to Maya, "All right. Let's go."

After what felt like several minutes, which was actually only a few minutes, the two women arrived at another medical ward within the camp. Maya led Misato down an array of makeshift hospital rooms until she stopped at a certain one. "Here we are," she declared. She opened a flap in the tent and called inside apparently to a doctor.

Within moments, the said doctor came out and addressed the two women. "Ah, so this woman also knows about the strange girl we have here."

"Strange girl?" Misato wondered.

"A few adventurers went out to check on that large white thing in the sea. From what they told me, one of them ripped the thing open and this girl spilled out from within. Strangely enough, the girl was alive and breathing."

As Misato was led inside, she gasped upon the sight that lay sleeping soundly on the hospital bed. She recognized the sleeping girl's azure coloured hair immediately. "Oh my god, it's Rei. But how?"

"By all means, a modern miracle," the doctor said. "And by all means, a bizarre girl indeed. Her blood isn't like normal blood, and as you can tell she's as pale as a ghost yet her temperature is about normal."

"Yeah, I know." Misato ran a hand through Rei's hair. 'Poor girl, you've had it just as bad as anyone else here.' As she stared at Rei's sleeping expression, she noticed that Rei stirred slightly, startling her quite a bit.

"Ah, she's done that a few times since she was brought in here," the doctor noted. "I think she's trying to awaken but for some reason she can't. I'd get her a stimulant, but our capabilities as you see are quite limited." Once he saw the concern on Misato's face, he reassured her, "Don't worry, the more she stirs, the closer she comes to waking up. I'd say her awakening is inevitable."

"Alright then." Misato pulled up a chair and sat down next to Rei's bedside with the intent of greeting the albino when she awoke.

"You're going to stay here?" Maya inquired. "But what about Shinji and Asuka? You sure it's alright to leave them two alone? You know they do have troubles getting along."

"It'll be fine," Misato reassured her comrade. "Those two are neither physically or mentally up for any fighting. Hopefully they'll maybe work on their differences, or at least not start throwing punches and kicks at each other. At the very least, they've declared a ceasefire. Besides for when Rei does awaken, I want her to at least see a friendly and familiar face."

Maya understood, and it reflected in her smile. "Okay Misato. If you're going to stay with Rei, I'll check on Shinji and Asuka once every so often and possibly see if anyone else made it back somehow."

Once Maya left, Misato returned her eyes to the sleeping Rei Ayanami. As she looked on, Misato reflected back on whom and what this girl was and ended up being. At first, Rei came off as a quiet and enigmatic girl who mostly kept to herself and was of very few words, except for when she was in the presence of Gendo Ikari where apparently she was capable of holding full fledged conversations.

Unfortunately, Misato was exhausted from the events of the past week and it finally caught up with her. In typical Misato fashion, minus the excessive supply of beer, she passed out in the chair she was sitting in.

As time passed on, a stir found its way through one of the tent's sleeping occupants. In this case, the stir was administered through the body of Rei Ayanami. Her eyes fluttered briefly before opening themselves and giving her the sight of the ceiling of a tent.

'Am I… alive?' Rei wondered to herself. With great effort, she pulled herself up into a sitting position. While she was fully conscious by now, her body still felt quite taxed from the events of the week prior. Rei tried to recollect the events leading up to Third Impact, but the events felt a little hazy in her mind. Images of Shinji, Lilith, and Commander Ikari crossed her mind. She remembered saying something to Shinji about how he could change the world or something like that, but then everything went… blank. And now she was here in what looked like a makeshift hospital.

Looking to her right, she saw an older woman sitting in a chair. Rei quickly identified her as Major Misato Katsuragi, Director of Combat Operations. Much like Rei was a few minutes ago, Misato was also sleeping. Perhaps calling to the sleeping guardian of Ikari and Sohryu might help improve the situation. "Major Katsuragi?" Rei called out quietly. To Rei's slight disappointment, Misato did not answer. "Major Katsuragi?" Rei called out again, this time a bit louder.

This time, Misato stirred a bit in response to being called to. Rei watched her stir for a few seconds before her eyes opened slightly. "Hey Rei," she tiredly replied. Realizing more now whom it was that was awake in front of her, Misato's eyes shot wide awake. "Rei! You're awake! Are you alright?"

"My body feels tired, but otherwise I am not in any pain if you are wondering," Rei replied. "May I ask where we are?"

"We're in a makeshift hospital spawned up after 3rd Impact," Misato explained. "It's been a week since the incident. So far Lieutenant Ibuki and I have been trying to find the others. We found Shinji and Asuka alive."

"I see."

Rei then requested a bottle of water, which Misato was able to provide, thanks to the relief efforts. Misato then thought for a bit. It then came to her that Rei's only connection was that of Commander Ikari. And that rotten bastard was nowhere to be seen. For all Misato knew that pathetic excuse for a man was probably dead since there had been no sign of him among those found in the camps and inside the remains of NERV HQ. So Rei probably had nowhere else to go. Maternal instincts kicking in, Misato deduced that if she can handle playing referee for two other troubled kids, then caring for Rei should be a walk in the park.

"Hey Rei, do you have anywhere you can go once you're able to walk on your own?"

"With the premise of Tokyo-3 being destroyed and NERV in ruins, then it is definite that I have nowhere to go," Rei quietly answered.

"Then in that case, you're coming with me," Misato declared with a smile.

"Would that not be a problem?" Rei wondered.

"Not at all! You'll have plenty of fun with us!" Misato knew that she probably wasn't telling the truth. But it would probably be better off for Rei to have her under Misato's watching eyes, as many would still see her as bizarre in comparison to normal people. But hopefully with time and patience, help from Shinji and MAYBE Asuka, Rei could develop into a normal happy teenage girl soon to be an adult.

"Then that is what it shall be."

--

One Year Later

With a crack of an egg was the start of another morning in an apartment complex in Tokyo-2 for Shinji Ikari, Asuka Sohryu, Rei Ayanami, and Misato Katsuragi and strange as it sounds, Pen-Pen (whom they had found on the side of the road apparently trying to hitchhike a ride to Tokyo-2). It had been a tough and trying year for the very dysfunctional family, but through sheer grit and fortitude, they all somehow managed to keep it together with some degree of unspoken ceasefire between all parties.

As Shinji ate his scrambled eggs and toast, Pen-Pen with his morning fish, and Rei with a bowl of Alpha Bits, Misato came out looking like her hung over self that everyone got accustomed to once more after Third Impact.

"Morning everyone," Misato said with a yawn as she dragged herself over to the fridge to pull out a can of beer. "Where's Asuka?"

"She's still getting up I assume," Shinji responded. "Ever since we've moved here, she's always been longer than ever towards getting up."

"She was sitting on her bed when I awoke," Rei put in as she continued to eat. "She was… looking at herself as if something was there that I couldn't see but only she could."

"I see," Misato pondered as she put her beer down, mostly cured of yet another hangover. She knew exactly what the problem was. A year after 3rd Impact, Asuka was still seeing the scars of that fateful day when she suffered catastrophic injuries at the hands of SEELE's mass produced Evangelions. When all was said and done, Asuka had a clean bill of health and no physical scars, but something still wasn't right about her. According to what the doctors said, Asuka was hallucinating the appearance of the scars on her face and right arm. In Asuka's mind, they were there when it was clear that they were not visible at all. She always wore big sunglasses or a lot of makeup to cover the 'scar' on her face, and tended to wear long sleeved shirts to cover the 'scar' on her arm. "Well I'll go see what's taking her. Otherwise she's not going to be able to eat anything before she goes to school."

Misato went over to Asuka and Rei's bedroom door and knocked on it. "Asuka, can I come in?"

"Be my guest."

Misato opened the door to see Asuka looking at herself in the mirror. Noticeably she had a white long sleeved shirt instead of the short sleeved uniform shirt that Rei was wearing. "Hey are you coming out at all? You should eat before you go to school."

Asuka sighed before responding. "I'll be out shortly, just gotta do something here."

Misato figured out fast that Asuka was applying some additional makeup to try and cover the scar around her eye. She tried talking about it with Asuka, but history over that subject got her nowhere and Asuka not talking to Misato for a week for trying 'to bullshit Asuka' over the scars. While Misato didn't have as much control over them as she wanted, she wanted to at least keep them all on a stable path steered in the right direction.

"Do you want Shinji to make more scrambled eggs, or cereal?"

"Cereal's fine," the redhead replied in a flat tone.

"Okay. Just make sure you hurry up," Misato finished, and then closed the door. 'Asuka… are you ever going to see those scars aren't real?' She then turned to Shinji and Rei, "Asuka will be out shortly. I'll drive you all to school then I'm off to work." Misato had found herself a job at a grocery store since they had arrived in Tokyo-2 and was making a decent wage as a cash supervisor along with social assistance since she also had to support three teenaged children.

It was tough alright, but the ray of hope for some peace and stability in their lives was getting stronger by the day.

--

NERV HQ – Tokyo-3

It had been more than a year since the day SEELE had tried to show Gendo Ikari who was running the world. And after a whole year, it was apparent that neither of them did. But ultimately in the mind of Gendo Ikari, at least the world was led to believe that SEELE thought they were running the day to day actions of the planet and killed thousands of people in an attempt to make that point. It was to an extent true, but nothing about Gendo Ikari's actions ever got out because there was nothing but allegations and no evidence to prove those allegations other than the words of that secret organization whereas NERV was looked at under a microscope.

That aside, things had gone smoothly in the past year. With no Angel attacks, any and all needed funds could go towards reconstruction of the facility without concerns of additional damage being done. Work was being contracted out, and many were willing to come and help rebuild the fortress city so it could once again be populated if not used for any other shit that decided to fly up into the fan. On top of that, repairs to Unit 02 were almost complete. Pilot Sohryu was extremely lucky to have walked away from that encounter. Unit 03 was rather much completed construction although it still needed a pilot. Unit 00 was about halfway constructed, having to rebuild it nearly from scratch. But what was most mysterious was the sudden reappearance of Unit 01. After having literally disappeared off the radar, it was spotted in the remnants of the Pacific Islands a few days after 3rd Impact as if it had been there all along.

As for what happened to SEELE, Gendo's plan had indeed gone perfectly. The United Nations actually did something useful for once and had declared SEELE a terrorist organization wanted by just about every country in the world. Gendo had ideas of where they could be hiding around the world and told the UN that too. But as it turned out, leaking information of their whereabouts had forced those twelve old men to pack it up and disappear out of sight faster than a bat out of hell.

Gendo had allowed himself a brief grin at the thought of getting the upper hand on SEELE member and former chairman of the committee Lorenz Keel. However at the given time, it was the only thing he could smile about. There was recently another set of Dead Sea Scrolls found which were currently being deciphered, but something about it had irked Gendo Ikari greatly. There was supposed to be nothing else after the Angels, but… was there more to come?

As he walked through the facility, he came across Dr. Ritsuko Akagi. Ever since 3rd Impact, their relationship had been relegated to being strictly professional. It was still rather shaky as is as she constantly had her eye on him ever since that day when he shot her in a brief but bitter confrontation in Terminal Dogma. The only reason Dr. Akagi probably stuck around now was probably due to the job security she had. For the sake of work production, he addressed her. "Dr. Akagi, what is the status of the new scrolls? Have they been deciphered yet?" he asked her in a flat tone.

"No they haven't," she replied in the same flat tone. "We suspect it is written in a slightly different dialect from the original Dead Sea Scrolls. Once the MAGI understand the new dialect, it should not be long before it is translated."

"I see. Make sure they are translated as soon as possible though. If anything else is going to occur, I would prefer to be ready for it."

"Understood sir." Their conversation was one tone. What was said was needed to be said, and that was all. Whether they would compromise and come to terms with each other was unknown. For now, there was no fighting, no arguing and that seemed to be all that mattered… for now.

--

Tokyo-2 High School

Life at Tokyo-2 High School wasn't much different in the mind of Shinji Ikari. Pretty much the same old shit he dealt with a year ago in Tokyo-3 except with a vastly different group of people. As of right now, he was currently in a Japanese class listening to the teacher's lecture. Neither Asuka nor Rei were in this class, but he would have classes with them at different times of the day. From what he noticed of his two roommates, the way Rei dealt with her classes was the same way she always did, paying attention and taking notes with the only sound being her pen/pencil strokes or the keystrokes on her laptop. Asuka on the other hand was almost a complete contrast, usually not paying attention or finding some other way to keep herself entertained that didn't involve paying attention to whatever the teacher was saying. That and she kept looking at a pocket mirror for some reason.

As for school itself, it was almost over for the year as is. Shinji had tried his best to keep his marks sustainable, but with everything that had bore down on him over the past two or so years, it felt like it was nearly impossible. But the relief of never having to deal with EVA again provided some form of relief as his marks did not climb, but they did not drop either.

Once school ended he would walk back home with Asuka and Rei. Since Misato was out, the onus for dinner would be on them three. Well, knowing Misato's track record of absolutely everything tasting horrible even when she did bother to follow directions, it was definitely for the better.

The walk was a quiet one, but Shinji wanted at least the girls' insight into what to make for dinner, so he got their insight. "Uh, what do you two want for dinner?"

"I could care less. As long as it's edible," Asuka shrugged. Shinji could at least make edible food compared to Misato who couldn't cook to save her life.

"I do not know," was Rei's response. "I trust your cooking will be as adequate as always."

"What do you mean by that?"

Rei, continuing to stare straight ahead to where their destination was, gave her response, "Your cooking is above average if not excellent."

Shinji blushed at the compliment. He still wasn't used to being praised even after all the praise he had gotten when he first met Misato, Rei, Asuka and the others. His father's abandonment still trumped any and all praise. "Gee, thanks."

"You are welcome."

--

NERV HQ – Kind of dull at the given time.

When compared to the events that happened over a year ago, the way things were going at NERV now felt almost… boring. Gendo Ikari even had to admit that managing the facility right now didn't have the same flair as it had when they were combating the Angels. The only thing worth actually waiting for was the results of the translation of the new set of Dead Sea Scrolls that had been found.

As for Gendo's own plans, he had none at the given time. Since 3rd Impact was a complete colossal disaster that had in a sense blown up in everyone's face, he had succeeded in turning the world against SEELE. He had contemplated calling back Pilots Ayanami, Sohryu, and Ikari and Major Katsuragi but at the given time it seemed to be unnecessary. The three former pilots were enrolled in a school in Tokyo-2 and they were struggling in terms of finances, but they were still above water and that was what mattered. No need to intervene unless there was a need to intervene. And on top of that, there was the uncertainty that those three teens could be able to pilot their respective EVAs.

Suddenly, Gendo's phone rang. Looking at the call display, it was from the guard outside his room. Maybe someone had something to tell him. Better than paperwork. "What is it?" he asked the minute he picked up. The guard replied by saying Dr. Akagi was outside and wished to speak with him. "Send her in," he ordered as he hung up the phone. Seconds later, Dr. Akagi indeed entered the room with a few pieces of paper in her hand. Perhaps she finally had some information regarding the Dead Sea Scrolls.

"Commander, I have information regarding the Dead Sea Scrolls," Ritsuko reported with a grim look on her face. "And if this is translated correctly, we're in big trouble." She handed him a sheet of paper. "The MAGI finished working on the translation and this is the written translation."

Gendo looked over the sheet carefully. This was disturbing indeed. If this was translated correctly then perhaps the Angels were not the last of Earth's troubles. The note read as follows:

_They walk in sunlight, we walk in the shadows. They desire peace and joy; we thrive on conflict and despair. There will be seventeen messengers of Yahweh to seek the flesh and blood of Lilith. They will find only their own blood. With Yahweh's messengers fallen, within one cycle we the seventeen emissaries of the shadows shall rise and take what is rightfully ours._

Fuyutski then walked in. He was curious at the sight of the doctor speaking with Commander Ikari, so he inquired. "Is something the matter?"

"Indeed." Gendo handed Fuyutski the sheet with the translation. "If this is correct, we could be attacked again very soon. There may be a new breed of Angels that will appear and we will need to be ready."

Fuyutski read the translation and was horrified. "So this means we will need to use the Evangelions once more. But they will likely not wish to return let alone be able to pilot them."

"That is true," Gendo conceded. "But we must rally all available resources to us so that a 4th Impact will not occur. As that will indeed be catastrophic for everyone. And just in case they will not, there are pilots elsewhere who can answer the call."

"Where else are you thinking Commander?" Ritsuko wondered. It seemed like no matter what the situation, the commander always tried to be one step ahead of everyone, including new enemies he had just learned of.

"We have a ready Evangelion and pilot in Russia, EVA and pilot in Canada and another EVA and pilot in Australia. Though for the moment the first two will be adequate for now. I will make the calls to those bases as soon as possible. We will be ready for this threat." To Fuyutski, he had a command. "I want you to get in touch with the United Nations Secretary General and alert him of our discovery. At the very least, I want that a message gets across. Whether they listen or not is irrelevant at the given time." To Ritsuko, he had one more command. "As for you Doctor, I want you to get in touch with Major Katsuragi and her charges and bring them back. I will make living and financial arrangements. I do not care what it takes, I want them back here."

"Yes sir."

A/N: In the words of Ric Flair: I WILL NEVER RETIRE! That's right! I'm back! From a long hiatus yes, but hopefully this means I stay back.


	3. A year in the making The return to NERV

A/N: Okay, since I am back (and hopefully better than ever), let's keep the ball rolling shall we?

A/N: And here I am again. Back from a grueling semester! No I wasn't lost for ideas. I was just made to keep away from the fanfics somewhat and focus on school. And then I hit a block over the Christmas Holidays.

A/N: I hit yet another block. And then my inspiration tanked. But it's back. For now. This chapter is subject to tweaking and adjusting if not well received by myself or others.

"Well Shinji, that was another well done meal, especially since we're using the low grade ingredients," Misato stated patting her full stomach after another hearty dinner that Shinji salvaged from the cheap shopping that Misato had done. It seemed like Shinji could make any meal meant for hobos into a top tier dinner fit for a nobleman.

"Seven out of ten," Asuka sighed looking up at the ceiling. Shinji didn't give any dirty looks or anything of the sort since he knew that garnering a seven out of Asuka was like going up to her and propositioning her without being utterly decimated.

Misato noticed Asuka was wearing another long sleeved shirt. For fucks sake, was she ever going to get over the fact those scars weren't real? Here went another try. "Hey Asuka, what's with the long sleeved shirt? It's not exactly cool in here."

"Well have you thought that maybe I'm a little cold?" Asuka shot back.

"You're gonna sweat like a pig," Misato teased.

"Pigs don't sweat!" Asuka countered. Rei and Shinji knew to back off go about cleaning up and let Misato handle the latest round of verbal jabbing with Asuka. Asuka wouldn't dare raise a fist to Misato. "And even if I do sweat, I wouldn't wear this shirt tomorrow anyways! God, why do you always care about stuff that's not important to you?"

"Because I'm your guardian," Misato replied back. "It's my job and personally acquired responsibility to care whether one of my charges sweats and ends up with a B.O. problem."

"Eww, you're one to talk! You've sweated enough for a farm of pigs each night!" Asuka stormed off into her room making sure to slam the door with enough force to make a point but at the same time keep the door on its hinges, while Misato had herself a laugh. Sure Asuka was somewhat correct, but Misato never let that bother her. Asuka was probably not much different. She grabbed herself a beer out of the fridge, popped it open, took a swig and sighed. That girl probably needed therapy of some kind, or the ultimate reality check, or maybe… just a little bit of love. Unfortunately the nearest suitor to dare coming within five feet of her would probably die if he said the wrong line which was very likely to happen.

Within a few hours, everyone will have gone to bed, and tomorrow's routine would commence. Shinji, Asuka, and Rei would be off to school and Misato would be off to work, passing people's groceries through a till and deal with their idiotic complaints. Apparently a few yen would make you rich in the minds of some morons.

"Alright you two," she began to Shinji and Rei, "I'm going to bed. Don't stay up too late alright? You don't want to piss off Her Majesty now."

"Understood Misato," Rei acknowledged. The look on Shinji's face said that he acknowledged too. Right as Misato opened her door, someone was knocking at their door.

"Shinji, could you be a dear and get that?" Misato asked, leaning on her own door.

"No problem." Shinji strode on over to the door, unlocked both locks and opened the door. On the other side, was a woman wearing a spring jacket who probably about Shinji's height. She appeared to be in her early thirties, had dyed blonde hair, and a notable mole below her left eye. The woman was about the… second easiest to recognize from… where else… NERV Headquarters. "Dr… Akagi?" Shinji was shocked to see his former pediatrician standing outside the door.

"What are you saying Shinji?" Misato came into the sight of the door and saw Dr. Ritsuko Akagi standing outside. "Rits?"

"Hey," Ritsuko said plainly with a weak but growing smile. "Long time no see. Looks like you're all doing…" she never got to finish that statement from Misato's tackle-hug, nearly taking her best friend to the floor.

"Oh my god Ritsuko!" Misato cried out. "You survived… how come you didn't say anything?"

"If you… let go… I'll explain… everything," Ritsuko replied as she felt Misato crush her ribcage.

Once Misato released her former best friend (by circumstance though the opportunity is possible for reconciliation), she invited Ritsuko in for some coffee, made by Shinji of course. Nothing less would be used for a guest, at least regarding who made the coffee.

So Misato asked Ritsuko what had happened during the attack. To Ritsuko, it was all mostly a blur. She left out the part about being shot by Gendo Ikari in Terminal Dogma. After everything went a little awry during the event called 3rd Impact, she felt like she had passed out. When she woke up, she found herself in Central Dogma being looked over by none other than Vice-Commander Fuyutski.

"So you survived and had nothing happen. I got blown up and lived to tell about it," Misato joked. She then saw the look on Shinji's face that had just gone grim from momentarily reliving that memory. "Aww lighten up a little Shinji, you saved my sorry 90 percent 3rd degree burned body and for that I'm eternally grateful. And I am somewhat grateful for the coffee." She passed her mug to him, "Can you get me another one pretty please?"

As Shinji obliged Misato's request, Misato now popped the question to Ritsuko. "I'm sure though that you aren't here to catch up on good old times, why exactly are you here then?"

"Well, you're right on both accounts," Ritsuko admitted. "I do admit that I wanted to know how you guys were doing in person since not much can be garnered from Section 2's distanced view other than well or not well. And, hey I sort of missed you guys and all the adventures we've had. Work at NERV now is somewhat dull and repetitive."

"Obviously," Misato replied while keeping her expression the same. "Now what's the real reason why you're here? The professional version please, minus the BS."

"Okay okay," Ritsuko threw her arms up in defence. "I can't really talk about it here though. Classified information apparently according to the Commander. Otherwise you get the BS version now and I can give you the professional version down at NERV Headquarters."

"Fuck you," Misato growled, knowing she would have to travel all the way down to NERV just to know what the fuck was going on. That would be a complete waste of everyone's time. But nonetheless, if something was up, like perhaps another Impact or anything of the sort, she would want to find some way to defend against it. Her main concern though would be the other three residents. Would they be up for anything of the sort? Let alone would they even want to go back to NERV, where they lived day in and out their worst nightmares?

Ritsuko stood up. "Anyways, I need to get on back. Duty calls." She put her coat back on and proceeded to the door, where Misato followed somewhat distantly behind. Before she stepped out the door, she got in one final word. "Oh and Misato?"

"Yes?"

"The commander isn't ordering you four back to NERV, he's more or less extending an invitation to come back. The choice is yours. You may come if you wish, but if you're not interested, he understands and will find others willing to fight for this cause. Just think of the kids and the benefits that will come from service in the long term." And to let that thought linger in the mind of Misato, she stepped back out the door, leaving Misato lingering with that thought.

Misato's Flat (Embrace the flat) – Following Night

Shinji decided to try something a little different tonight for dinner, so he opted for a simple Thai recipe he came across during his spare time at school. When it came to cooking, as long as he had the ingredients anything he came across could basically be turned into a five star meal. Misato seemed to enjoy this one, as did Rei. Asuka on the other hand, didn't bitch about it, and Shinji would take that as her silent approval.

Misato decided to try and make a bit of conversation, "So guys, it's almost the end of school. I think I can save enough money to treat all of us to a classy restaurant by the end of the year. So what do you three have in mind?"

"How about just something simple Misato?" Shinji proposed. "We don't exactly have a lot of money, so maybe just a good time at a ramen tent?"

"Typical," Asuka countered in a flat tone. "You get the chance to go big and you blow it at the ramen tent. Try going up a few stars."

"Asuka!" Misato said in frustration. Damn, no matter what you did, she always had to be the buzz killer. Not this time. "What about you Rei? Anything in particular you'd like to try?"

"I have not thought of anything," Rei replied quietly. "Ikari has a point though about the lack of money, but Sohryu has the idea of being able to enjoy ourselves while we can."

"Right on Wondergirl," Asuka kept using the flat tone. Better than her raising her voice. "In that case, let's find the best restaurant we can." Which would bring the ball back to Shinji's court and potentially an argument would break out.

Misato quickly shot Shinji a look that said 'Unless you want to argue with Asuka, and we all know where that ends up going, just give in and agree.' She then spoke, "Well we can't exactly splurge but yes there is enough money for a decent restaurant and the decent meal to go with it. Don't worry about money Shinji, that's my job okay?"

Shinji knew better. Dinner time was a time where everyone was supposed to be together with some degree of peace and harmony. If Shinji wanted to argue with Asuka which was something best kept to a minimum as currently was, resigned to what Misato and Asuka had in mind. With a sigh, he gave in, "Okay, I guess we can go a high level restaurant then."

"Good, looks like a unanimous vote then with Rei abstaining again," Misato said with a cheer. "Well Asuka, since you want the high level restaurant, I'll let you pick out the one you want." Asuka didn't show acknowledgement, but Misato knew she silently did. "Rei, can you just clean up in here once everyone's done?" She got Rei's acknowledgement. "And Shinji, you can take a breather after dinner."

So while Asuka went back into her room, for who knows what reasons, Rei went to work cleaning up in the kitchen, Misato went back into her room for a beer or two… or three, and Shinji decided to watch some television with Pen-Pen.

But while in that room, Misato weighed in on what happened the night prior with Ritsuko. Why would the commander "ask" them to return to NERV Headquarters? Was there an ulterior motive? Or did he have genuine intentions this time? There could have been some chance that the commander saw the light… or rather just a small speck of light and had a change of heart. The better pay and health coverage along with guaranteed pension after retirement would definitely help since the world was funding NERV. In her mind, going back and at least seeing what they had to offer was better than dealing with idiot customers at a retail store. But her heart was screaming to her to not go back unless she had unanimous and undisputed approval from Shinji, Asuka, and Rei. While her mind and heart bickered more than a liberal and a conservative politician bickering over taxes, both entities agreed that Misato needed another beer.

Coming out of her room, not much had changed since she had waltzed into her room with the initial beer. She decided to open up to Rei first, being the most objective out of the three. "Hey Rei," she began just to get the girl's attention.

"Yes?"

"How would you feel about going back to visit NERV Headquarters?" Misato inquired. "Last night I got an invitation from Dr. Akagi to go back sometime." Opening bet.

"Why would we want to go back to a place that caused us severe psychological trauma?" Rei countered Misato. Ouch. Misato was not expecting that one. Rei called the bet.

"Because…" Rei had just countered Misato's opening bet with a call. No sense in beating around the bush. "Well Dr. Akagi told me that Commander Ikari had extended an invite to the four of us, asking us if we would like to go back to NERV." Bet on the flop.

"And why would he do that?" Rei countered again with a call.

Misato had nothing. There was no bullshitting this one. "I don't know actually. Ritsuko wouldn't tell me. She offered me a half-truth version with the promise of getting the full version if we went down there." Bet on the turn.

"I see," Rei replied. "I personally do not have any objections. I sense the financial benefits would be of help, but I have doubt that Ikari or Sohryu would like to return to that place." Ugly re-raise again, forcing Misato to have to convince Shinji and Asuka to go on back to NERV. She was glad this wasn't for money.

"Thanks," Misato said with some sarcasm. So much for getting support from Rei. Well it seemed more like she was indifferent herself to going, but knew that Shinji and Asuka may not share the same "enthusiasm" Rei had just shown. She looked over at Shinji who seemed more concerned with his headset than the conversation in the kitchen. She walked on over and sat down next to him. "Hey Shinji," she began, tapping his shoulder.

That got his attention and he removed his headset. "Yes Misato?" he replied.

"Hey," she went on. "I just wanted to ask you something. When Dr. Akagi came over last night, she extended an invitation from Commander Ik… your father." Seeing Shinji's shock from this revelation, she continued to confirm his silent inquiry. "Yes, he's still alive as well. And I was thinking that if we went back to NERV Headquarters, we could finally move into a better place, have more money and you could be back with all your classmates in Tokyo-3." Right as she sensed some objection lurking around the corner, her empathy took over and she laid it out. "But I would absolutely stick with what we have right now if you, Asuka, or Rei had objected to this. I wanted to get your opinion first, because I don't want to force any of you to go back. We have to stick together as a family, and united we will stand."

Shinji knew that Misato was right, and was grateful that she considered his feelings. At the same time, he knew that Misato had come home numerous times from her retail job either wanting to cry or throw a temper tantrum. But NERV represented a whole lot of things to him and a lot of them particularly negative: EVA, his incredibly distant father whom he hardly knew on a personal level, terrifying and traumatic battles against the Angels, and that chaotic day called 3rd Impact.

"Can we at least have a choice upon going down?" Shinji offered.

"That seems appropriate," Misato answered, pleased with Shinji's answer. "If we go down there and you don't like what you see, then we come right back here." Whew, now that was two down with one to go. "So with both yourself and Rei in compliance, now we just have to convince the most unlikely one to go back to NERV. Is Asuka still in her room?" She saw Shinji nod, and went to go knock on her door. "Asuka, are you awake?"

**One destroyed door, three dents in the wall, two broken windows, many broken objects, and one police visit later…**

Now that that incident was all good and settled, Misato and the teenagers had come to a consensus that was reached as they cleaned up the mess that was made of the apartment. So they would all go down to NERV within two days to see what was going on down there. And they all knew that it could once again have something to do with the EVAs. But at the first sign that one of them felt uncomfortable (within reason), they would pack up and leave. But they would also have to be in the building for at least 1 hour too before they wanted to pack it up and go back home and never return to NERV again.

That day did come, and the four occupants all packed into Misato's car for the drive to Tokyo-3. After what was a silent journey, they were quite surprised at what they saw coming into the city.

"The hell?" Misato said abruptly as they drove. The city had been practically rebuilt! "How the hell did they build the place back so fast?"

"It says here that contracts were handed out very quickly so as to rebuild the city as soon as possible," Rei responded as she read a pamphlet.

"Handing out contracts like shoveling horseshit out of a barn I see," Asuka rudely chipped in.

"Asuka," Misato said sharply, disapproving of the German girl's choice of words. While the city had been rebuilt for the most part, it was still rather empty. There were people out and about, but the city still felt abandoned. Mind you, this was the site of an N2 mine being dropped. Some would be hesitant to return to such a terrible place. But others would see that there was plenty of potential here. A fortress city, with improved structural design to protect against enemy attacks. It could become a model for basing other cities off of if other countries desired to turn their cities into large fortresses. They had passed by their school again on the way there too. It looked… EXACTLY the same as it was before it was blown up. Right down to the one bent basketball hoop.

But NERV as well looked… the same too. There was absolutely no change at all from a year ago. The four silently got out of the car and walked over to the check-in station. The receptor still accepted Misato's old and expired ID card. If they stayed long enough, she would probably get another card though. And maybe one for the kids if they stayed long enough. After what felt like a long agonizing journey down memory lane and an elevator, they arrived in the heart of the facility.

"Looks like you took up my offer after all," Ritsuko's voice echoed throughout the room. Looking to their right, there she was standing in the shadow before moving into the light. "The commander knew you would come."

"He's… expecting us?" Misato asked curiously.

"Indeed," Ritsuko answered. "Come. Follow me." She led them through a maze of hallways. The facility wasn't empty again as there were staff members and security detail patrolling the hallways. Notably with more body armour and larger guns. That didn't stop the place from looking gloomy.

------

"I told you they would come," one male voice stated. "Fate beckoned them to return to this place."

"I still think it was a lucky guess Ikari," another voice, notably male as well responded.

The door opened to reveal Dr. Akagi had returned and with Major Katsuragi and her charges all in tow: Rei, the Second Child, and that boy who was presumably his son. "We've been awaiting your arrival," the first male voice stated. "Sit down, we have plenty to discuss."

"Commander Ikari," Misato replied, acknowledging and saluting the first voice, "It is… good to see you alive."

"Likewise." Maybe. Gendo and Fuyutski, would then go into detail. "As you know, 3rd Impact occurred about a year ago," he began to explain. "The entire world was affected by what had happened, especially all of Japan and other surrounding countries. With appeal to the United Nations, and to the appeal of large multi-national corporations, many contracts were handed out like food to the homeless."

"Or like horseshit out of a barn," Asuka mumbled. That got her an elbow to the ribcage from Misato.

Unfazed, Gendo continued. "And as such, the city has been rebuilt very quickly and within a year. Within five years, this city will start profiting again soon, and we can work towards paying down the large debt we owe to the world. Not just for rebuilding the city, but for the damages caused by the Evangelions and the Angels. And 3rd Impact."

"What does that have to do with us?" Misato asked. "Why did you ask us to return?"

"While in the process of rebuilding," Fuyutski chipped in, "we came across more scrolls, similar to the Dead Sea Scrolls. They were written in a dialect different to the original scrolls. Not in any known language."

"I won't go into details," Gendo stated, "as to how we were able translate the scrolls. But we do know this. Whatever it is that still lurks out there, the scrolls presented us with a warning. No, a dire threat."

Shinji and Asuka perked up slightly with raised nerves.

"There were seventeen Angels in total," Gendo went on. "Perhaps much like anything in this universe, there is always one thing to balance another. To have imbalance is to have chaos. If our interpretation is correct, seventeen more Angels are coming."

"What?" Misato shot out, jumping out of her seat. "You can't be serious! We beat all the Angels!"

"Yes we did," Gendo answered her calmly. "But where there's light. There is… darkness."

"We suspect these Angels are of a different entity," Fuyutski figured. "Whereas the Angels of before were doing whatever work God had planned, what could be coming next are of different origins. Perhaps evil origins. And if that is the case, then we must prepare the Evangelions again."

"You can't be serious!" Shinji suddenly replied with his voice raised. "Don't you have any idea what kind of monsters those things are?"

"We do," Gendo calmly answered in contrast to his… the boy's outburst. "Unfortunately they are the best and only weapons we have at our disposal in order to maintain peace and stability. And what we do know, is that if these new Angels arrive, their intentions are to ruin our world. If they have their way, there will be no place left to run. The world populace will be slaughtered mercilessly. Perhaps they have some form of 4th Impact in mind. I do not know. And I do not intend to find out."

-----

Tokyo-2 International Airport

Even in these troubling times, the airport and the people who work there still finds a way to make it busy and productive. People pass through for many means purposes. People come to Japan for the purpose of tourism of all its unique sights and attractions. Others come because they may wish to immigrate to Japan because they wish to fully embrace the culture that has thrived and evolved for thousands of years. Lately, many have been coming in for the sake of the work available in construction and/or for the jobs available for hire. Once seen over a year ago as a land of ruin and death, the potential here has turned Japan into a land of opportunity and growth. As a result, many people from many different countries have come here, seeking possible jobs, a place to call home, or even to see what this mysterious land's history has to tell.

As always, the airport can tell many stories about the people that come in and out. On this day, the airport has two specific stories to be told about. Two stories, that began thousands of miles apart, will collide into one story. One story that will affect the entire foundation of the world.

"Welcome to Japan," the customs guard at the airport said to the person in front of him at Terminal 1.

"Thank you sir," the voice, which of a young female with a soft Russian accent replied. After the woman passed through customs, she opened up a small book that contained some notes. "So, someone here will pick me up and transport me to NERV Headquarters," she said quietly. "I presume they know who I look like." After obtaining her luggage, which consisted of two large suitcases, she paced through the airport. She had actually had a pleasant flight over to Japan. No incidents, no turbulence and excellent customer service. She was even processed smoothly too. And she only had to wait five minutes for her luggage.

The young lady in particular, went by the name of Ivana Natalya Kharlamov. With her long raven black hair (that was tied into a ponytail), her sad blue eyes, and quite muscular build, she could be an imposing sight even at 5'7". She was dressed in a Russian style military coat with beret. She had flown all the way here from Moscow, Russia.

As she continued to walk, her presence standing out from amongst the crowd, Ivana was approached by a large stocky man in a black suit. "Miss Kharlamov," he spoke, addressing her. "We've been waiting for you."

"Are you from NERV Headquarters?" she inquired.

"We've been instructed to transport you to the facility," the agent responded. "More will be explained once the other Child arrives."

"Other child?"

"Yes, once my colleague returns with the other Child, we shall go."

"I see," Ivana said quietly. "So I'm not the only one then. Perhaps they are short on pilots."

----

"Welcome to Japan," the customs guard at the airport said to the person in front of him at Terminal 3.

"Thank you," the young male voice replied, thinly masking his frustration. _"Holy moly,"_ he said out loud in English, _"And I thought Pearson was bad as is. This place makes it look like a bloody joke. Not to mention the food tasted like three day old leftovers." _He looked around the airport. Some guy who hopefully recognized him would be here to get him so they could go to NERV. He waited about ten minutes for his luggage to come through on the conveyor belt only to realize it was the wrong suitcase. _"Fuck my life,"_ he mumbled again. Thirty minutes later, it finally did arrive. Just like in the movies. And now to go and find someone he had no clue who they looked like. He needed a coffee. Fast.

Zackary Robert Harper was the name of the flustered teenager. His short brown hair along with his green eyes made for a more friendly sight than most people. At about 6 feet tall, he was already taller than a lot of the men here which made him stand out even more than he preferred. His choice of dress was very informal, with blue jeans, white sneakers and a blue and white sports jacket.

Zackary was then approached by a man in the suit. "I assume you're Zackary Harper," the man spoke to him.

"Zack preferably," Zack replied, trying to be just as imposing, "And no I am not giving out autographs right now, sorry." Imposing, and a smartass all rolled into one.

"I'm with Section 2," the man replied, unmoved by the boy's snide statement. "I'm supposed to escort you and the other arrival to NERV Headquarters."

"Alright, finally getting somewhere," Zack quickly cheered. "Lead the way my good sir." A thought then hit him. "Wait, 'other arrival'?"

"Yes, I am to escort you and the other person that arrived here today for orientation," the agent replied. "That is all I can say for now."

"That's it? Lame," Zack muttered as he followed the agent. "Wait, can we stop and get a coffee?"

"No."

A/N: After a long time in retirement, I move into semi-retirement with this chapter being complete. Hopefully my inspiration stays around this time. This was probably sitting on my computer for the best of about a year. And today I finally got around to finishing it. Hope you enjoyed it, and I hope I haven't lost my touch!


End file.
